Improved railway-rail



4 passing through sections,and of the intervening fish-plates, by

e', placed UNITDISTATES.

PATnN-r |\v| PROVED RAILWAY-RAM..

Specification forming part of Letters To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BELFIELD, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, and in the State or' Pennsylvania, .have invented certain new and `useful Improvements in Railroad-Rails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being'had to the aecompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- A l Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved rail. Fig. 2 is an end/elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.`

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each oi the figures.

My invention relates to a class of railroadrails formed of two vertical longitudinal sections secured together, so that the ends. thereof shall break joints; and it consists in -the employment of a rail consisting of two longitudinal'sections connected together by fishplates, placed at short intervals between said sections, and secured thereto by means of bolts both sections and plates, the whole forming a truss-rail, in which is obtained a maximum of strength with a minimum of material, as is'hereinafter shown.

It also consists in the peculiar form of the means of which a vertical longitudinal space is left between said sections, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawings, A and A represent the longitudinal sections or halves of the rail, each constructed, as shown in Fig. 2,with the web B placed directly over the center of the head C. The foot D extends outward to the usual distance upon one side of each section, while upon the other or innerV side it is removed upon a line vertically with the side of` the head, so that the combined breadthl transversely ofthe feet of both sections shall onlyl equal that of an ordinary rail. The sections thus constructed are placed with the joint between the ends, upon one side, opposite the center of the opposite section, and a fish-bar or plate, E, consisting of a double head, e, connected together by means of a web,

at short intervals between, and they whole firmly secured together by means of two the'outer section of iron,

fi. The

or more bolts, F, passing through said sections i and through each plate. rPhe fish-plate E con- 1 Patentino. 97,593, vdated December 7,1ee9.

forms to and fills the space vertically between the lower side of the head and the upper side of the foot of each section, while its width 1s such as to hold the contiguous edges of the head and feet of said sections from one-fourth to one-half of c an inch apart, by which means the breadth `of bearing for the tread of the wheel is proportionably increased, as is also y without the bearing of the rail upon the tie, increasing the weight of the rail.

' It will be seen that the fish-plates not only hold the sections together transversely, but also vertically, and that the whole, thus constructed and combined, forms a truss-rail, possessing throughout its entire length great strength, rigidity, er weight than the ordinary solid rail.

Another advantage possessed by this rail is vthat water cannot accumulate within the space between the sections, and by freezing burst said sections apart and break the bolts, as would be the case were not said space open at its upper and lower sides.

Asthe inner half of the rail receives the largest proportion of the wear, it is believed that if the inner section were made of steel and equal durability to the best steel rail would be than two-thirds of its cost.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits V,of my improvements, what I claim` as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

within-described truss-rail, consisting ofthe sections A and A, held apart by the `ish-plates E, and connected with-each other by means of said plates and the bolts F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a rail composed of vvertical longitudinal sections, the connecting together of said sections, so as to leave between the same a vertical longitudinal space, open at both top and bottom, substantially as and for the pur-l pose shown.

In testimony that I have hereunto set my September, 1869.

claim the foregoing I hand this 9th day of HENRY BELFIELD.

Witnesses:

y L. Bnooir BELFIELD,

W. C. BUCHANAN.

and stability, with no greati secured at less 

